Basics

[Darth Veles]

Once again, Avreet knelt in one of the many training rooms. This time, a whole bunch of students was headed his way to learn from him. After seeing how many signed up, he chose a bigger room than the one for his duel with Sabrina, now also known as Darth Banshee. This room would give them enough space to practice without getting into each other's way. Rising from his kneeling position in the middle of the room, his big fish-like eye looked to the left, watching several tables with various tools and items on them.

Knives, hydrospanners, credits, pens, staves, spoons. Some of them could be used as weapons, but only to a certain degree. On the other end of the room 'stood' dozens of decomissioned droids, variously cut and dismembered by those who practiced their lightsaber prowess on them. Those pieces of junk would serve this class well enough though, just as the ceiling that reached several metres above their heads.

Avreet would teach his students the absolute basics. They were expected to know something and have the basic grasp on how the Force worked. The Mon Calamari hoped the students all knew how to meditate, for meditation served as a way for them to focus and connect to the ocean of the Force. Turning his sight back at the door leading to the class, he awaited the Acolytes, his large amber eyes studying them one by one as they entered and he waited for them to introduce themselves. Clasping his webbed hands behind his back, he glared at them in a typical Mon Calamari fashion.
[member="Veran"] [member="Albrecht Tagge"] [member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The large metallic transport that Ballen-Ist sat within would rocket through space quickly, it's engine roaring quite loudly. Not like it mattered, seeing as the only ones that could hear it were within the ship itself. The dark vacuum of space cut off all signs of life, leaving an eery silence behind. Sitting quietly, he would look over his small datapad that was held within his hand, it detailing several things. The most important at the moment was a meeting with a Sith Knight, of the One Sith faction. The One Sith's Academy was where the Imperial-fashioned shuttle was headed, bringing a handful of Sith-related individuals to several planets. It's first stop, was where the academy was located. The metallic doors would open to let in the bright beams of light, they filling the dark moody ship within seconds. Emerging from it's depths, the young Sith pureblood would step down the drop-ramp, making his way out of the ship and onto the planet's surface.
Gazing upwards, he would take in the Sith Academy's glory, it being constructed in a similiar fashion to the previous one's he had been to. However, it did hold it's own unique traits. Walking across the metal platforms, Ballen-Ist would leave the hangar, making his way to the many training rooms that laid within the large temple. Looking up at the labels above the door, the teenager would stop as he arrived at the one that had been described on his datapad. His arm would lift, hand reaching out to press against the control panel. The door would slide open quickly, sinking into the door frame's top section. Upon entering it would close, bringing his attention to [member="Darth Veles"] who sat on the floor.
"It is an honor to meet you, my lord." He would say, addressing the Mon Calamari as he walked across the metal floor panels. Falling to a single leg, the boy would kneel in the man's presence, hoping to receive further instructions.

 

[Veran]

Veran walked down the halls of the One Sith academy, he had been here for such a short time and already he felt like he was at home, in fact Darth Naefas had taken up the challenge of training him, the training was hard but Veran knew that it would all be worth the trouble in the end. But at the moment he was on the way to a lesson with another Knight, this Knight was gonna teach him about the basics of the force, or so the datapad requesting him had said. Veran already knew how to meditate and channel the force through his body, but there were so many things he didn't know about the force and it's mysterious ways.

When Veran entered the class he saw that he was not the first there, so that obviously might have meant that he was late, he knelt down on one knee and knelt towards the fish like Mon Calamari "Sorry M'lord for my tardiness, I hope it does not affect the way you treat me as I am only new here" the only thing to do after he had said this was to wait and see what would happen now, maybe one more student would come, maybe he would have to duel the other student that was there, the possibilities of "basics" were absolutely endless.
[member="Ballen-Ist"] [member="Darth Veles"] [member="Albrecht Tagge"]

 

[Darth Armyss]

Albrecht staggered into the training room of the Sith Academy, appearing a bit shaken - he knew he was late, but he at least had an excuse...or at least he thought he did. Apparently, his personal ship, the Tagge Honor, had a malfunction occur in its landing repulsors, which had nearly caused the YTA-1300 to land on its side, a less than ideal situation, to say the least. Only a quick manual override had prevented a potential disaster, not to mention having to fight the controls for ten minutes to get the vessel to respond.

"I'm here, Lord Veles - my ship had a minor malfunction on the way" he explained to the Mon Calamari Sith Lord as he leaned up against a wall to catch his breath, having ran all the way there from the landing pad to attempt to make up for his tardiness. He was here to attend a course on telekinesis, one of the most basic - and one of the most useful - abilities available to force users, light or dark. He knew he was capable of it, having used it once to pull a blaster pistol into his hand, but like most abilities that he hadn't received training for, he could only use it when his life depended on it - hopefully, this course would allow him to make use of this ability at will.

[member="Darth Veles"] [member="Ballen-Ist"] [member="Veran"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Darth Veles stood in silence as the first student appeared, a male Sith Pureblood. The Mon Calamari had encountered many of his kind in the past; particularly during his years of training on Korriban. Many of the Sith species thought themselves better Sith because of their red skin, hopefully this one was not one of them as Veles'd have none of it. "Welcome, Acolyte," the Sith Knight greeted the Pureblood with a warm smile, reaching out through the Force and performing a quick scan of his presence to determine his power. [member="Ballen-Ist"] had potential like most Acolytes, there was much room to be filled with knowledge and power. To the amphibian's displeasure though, the Acolyte knelt in front of him, to which Avreet responded with a questioning stare. "Sith Pureblood who kneels in front of a Mon Calamari. Why do you kneel before me, Acolyte? Is is because I am a true Sith and you have yet to earn the title?" Raising his left hand, he called upon the power of the Dark Side and sent purple spark-like energy from the tips of his claws into the Acolyte's body, the pure manifestation of the Dark Side also known as Force lightning. "A Sith never kneels in front of another except the Dark Lord himself," he explained, "By kneeling in front of another being, you show your subjugation. Do not do it."

Motioning for the Pureblood to stand up just as another entered the room, Darth Veles swiveled his left eye to look at the newcomer, @Veran. This time, instead of a red skinned member of a race that enslaved other species, one that belonged to the most enslaved race appeared, his skin color green. Twi'leks often ended up as slaves, but not here. One Sith believed in equality among its members, more or less. They all had their superiors, someone to listen to, yet their social status outside of One Sith hardly mattered, just as their race or beliefs. "Welcome, Acolyte." The Mon Calamari gently said and smiled again, watching as yet another knelt down, which wiped off Veles' smile and prompted him to deliver a quick and painful lesson to this student too, Force lightning. "I haven't asked you to kneel in front of me. You are not my slave, Acolyte. Never kneel before another Sith, unless you want them to exert their dominion over you! The only person you have to kneel in front of is the Dark Lord himself."

Both of his large amber eyes gazed at the door, the final student to arrive. A human, the most common of sights in the galaxy. Offering him a pleasant smile, the Mon Calamari greeted him just like the others. "Welcome, Acolyte." His glare shifted towards the other two who have recovered from their mistakes in the meantime. The latecomer did not do the same mistake, escaping painful punishment. "Tell me, Acolyte," his large domed head turned to face [member="Albrecht Tagge"], "Why did you not kneel before me?"

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Raising his head, the young teenager would see a rather unpleasant sight. As an instinct, both of the boy's arms would raise, crossing over his torso in a defensive manner. This of course, was futile, seeing as Ballen-Ist's un-trained self couldn't even channel the force into his limbs. The powerful, dark purple bolts of lightning shot from [member="Darth Veles"]' finger tips, stretching across the air in order to reach it's target. The powerful force manifestation would collide with the Sith pure blood, offering a powerful impact and an incredibly painful discharge. The electricity entered the boy's body as soon as it made contact, flowing through-out every inch of his being, his body being covered in a purple, crackling haze. Flying across the floor, he would land on his back, smoke rising up from his clothes seeing as he had been burnt badly. Never had he experienced the power of the force before, this being his first encounter with something on lightning tier.
Groaning in pain, there would be no sheathing of the boy's feelings as continued to writhe on the ground, it being the most excruciating thing he had felt. His figure would remain on the ground, incapable of getting up at the moment.

 

[Darth Armyss]

"Kneel?" he asked for a moment before realizing the mistake he made, "Oh! My mistake!"

With that, he quickly lowered himself into a kneel in front of [member="Darth Veles"], remembering what happened the last time he forgot to kneel when addressing superiors. Being force choked into unconsciousness was not an experience he wanted to repeat, considering how much of a literal pain in the neck it was.

"My apologies, my Lord - I shall not forget to kneel again" he said apologetically, lowering his head and hoping not to feel that same grip around his throat a second time for making this mistake again. Of course, what he didn't know is that he HAD made a mistake by kneeling. Well...in his defense, he was sort of damned if he did, and damned if he didn't - being so new around here, he was unaware of the differing expectations of his various superiors. Well...he had to learn somehow.

((OOC Note: Yes, I did that deliberately, knowing he'll probably get zapped - he has no clue what he's doing))

[member="Ballen-Ist"] [member="Veran"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

([member="Albrecht Tagge"] Of course, clueless characters are the funniest, in my opinion. I sincerely laughed at that, you have done well. Lol.)

 

[Darth Armyss]

(( [member="Ballen-Ist"] You should have seen him on the invasion thread. No training whatsoever, and he attempts to ambush a Jedi Master. He literally gets his ass handed to him and gets launched by a force push into the next room.))

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The punishment that the young Sith had received was rather severe, the force lightning having electricuted him badly. Still writhing on the ground in pain, steam would rise from Ballen-Ist's body, a sure sign of the damage that had been dealt by [member="Darth Veles"]. Having no force training at this point in time, the new Acolyte didn't have anyways of numbing the pain. It was the first time he had made a mistake within a Sith's presence, he intended for it to be his last. The black smoke that lingered on his body would not disappear as he slowly strugged to sit up, his arms supporting him as he continued to make his way onto his feet.

 

[Darth Veles]

"You fool," Veles frowned in disgust, raised his left hand and pointed at [member="Albrecht Tagge"], unleashing Force lightning towards this Acolyte as well. The pain would make them remember this lesson. Truly, if used within reason, Force lightning served as an effective tool of education. The stream of the Dark Side hit the human Acolyte just like the others, it coursed through his body and overwhelmed all of his senses with pain. It did little to no physical harm though; permanently damaging the Acolytes was not the Darth's intention, unless they really needed a permanent reminder. "Not only you aren't competent enough to arrive on time; you're so foolish you forget to kneel, only to do so when I ask you why haven't you done that," the Mon Calamari calmly explained and stopped the lightning onslaught, "Remember, Acolyte. A true Sith never kneels in front of anyone! By kneeling, you show your submission. The only person you have to kneel before is our Dark Lord."

After waiting for [member="Ballen-Ist"], [member="Veran"], and the latecomer to get up, the Sith Knight continued, casting a pleasant smile again as he could finally start the lesson. Veles clasped his webbed hands behind his back and slowly paced around the students. They would be able to notice his boots marching on the steel floor made no sound and his presence in the Force vanished. Veles often did that, bending sound waves and twisting his Force signature to practice the arts of stealth. Of course, he had to stop using Force cloak to move unheard as the students would not be able to hear his voice had he continued bending the outgoing sound. "You three want to become Sith. Why? What do you seek? What is your purpose? Maybe you'll end as mere Dark Jedi, no matter how many titles you gain in your quest. Do you even know the difference between Sith and Dark Jedi?" the amphibious Knight asked, stopping in his tracks and glaring at the Acolytes with his large orange eyes, his sight darting from one student to another.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Quickly opening his mouth, the young Sith would attempt to redeem himself. The boy would speak softly as he addressed [member="Darth Veles"], aiming to showcase his knowledge. "Dark Jedi are simply force users that harness the dark side," he would begin, continuing, "They do not hold any heritage to their heart, or certain beliefs towards the dark side. What makes us Sith is the ideology we follow while wielding the dark side." After speaking, he would take a deep breath, feeling rather tired. The force lightning still effected him, making him exhausted.

 

[Darth Armyss]

Upon being struck by [member="Darth Veles"]' Force Lightning, Albrecht collapsed onto the ground, convulsing in agony for the brief moment that it coursed through his body. Part of him was tempted to complain about being damned if he did and damned if he didn't, after his prior experience with being force choked for not knealing - now revealed to have been more likely than not some form of hazing, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. All he could do was endure for the moment, and carry on. Once enough of the pain had faded that he could begin to move again, he staggered to his feet, attempting to regain his composure in spite of the continued tingling throughout his body.

"Right, note to self, kneeling is a bad idea unless before the Dark Lord" the acolyte confirmed the Mon Calamari's instructions. Perhaps there was some hope for him yet in spite of his initial blunders. Upon hearing the question, it took a moment to think about his answer, as technically there were many correct answers, all based in history, but only one of them was the most correct answer.

"A dark jedi is typically defined as a force user who rejects the ideology of the Jedi Order and adheres to at least limited use of the Dark Side, but isn't necessarily a Sith" he answered, still wincing a bit at the stinging he felt throughout his body, "a Sith follows a specific ideology that runs counter to that of the Jedi in all but a few fundamental ways, the main difference being that a Sith understands that conflict is necessary to better ourselves and the Galaxy as a whole, whilst the Jedi attempt to avoid conflict, which leads to stagnation."

True, his answer was similar to [member="Ballen-Ist"]'s in some ways, but it was more specific, since indeed, from what he understood, one of the key fundamental differences between the Jedi and Sith was the Sith belief that conflict, not peace, was the way forward for the Galaxy, something he had learned first-hand was usually true.

 

[Darth Veles]

Veles remained silent during the duration of their answers. He broke the eye contact and began pacing around again, stroking his long barbel under chin as he analysed their answers. It was good they came to him. Although neither of them wished to learn of the Sith, seeking only power, Veles saw it as necessary after hearing their words. Neither of them fully understood what it meant to be Sith, indicated by their kneeling and further supported by their answers. [member="Ballen-Ist"]'s answer held some idea and truth, but it lacked something and the Acolyte might not have realized the Jedi started to adapt Sith ideals, slowly but surely.

"Then how do you explain so many Jedi using the Dark Side without being branded Dark Jedi and removed from the Order? How do you explain their use of passion, their lust for war and destruction? They burn planets, slaughter innocents and murder those who dare to oppose them. All in the name of peace, freedom and democracy, their demented crusade with the Jedi Code on their togues continues to strengthen the Dark Side. What makes them different from the Dark Jedi? The Code. Or the lack of thereof. That is the difference. It is more complicated with the Sith and our Dark Jedi enemies though. Our Code is only one of several things that make us Sith. Some Dark Jedi are more Sith than those who hold the title of Darth and follow the Code..." The Mon Cal explained to both of them as he walked past the red skinned student and turned his attention towards the other Acolyte, his expression clearly showing the human's answer did not please him.

"What makes you think Sith believe that conflict is necessary? I want eternal peace, yet I am a true Sith." The amphibious Sith Knight stood in front of [member="Albrecht Tagge"], calmly lookng into his eyes.

 

[Darth Armyss]

"That is not the kind of conflict I am referring to, I am referring to the reason for strife in our galaxy - it forces us to adapt and improve or else, die off - the Sith preach that the Galaxy favors the strong and the ambitious, because they don't sit around waiting for their situation to improve, they make it happen themselves - if you want peace, then you should make it happen, no matter who stands in the way" Albrecht began to clarify, "The Jedi preach passiveness, the avoiding of conflict, which as I stated, only results in stagnation, which makes them vulnerable, and nearly resulted in them being wiped out - only when they began to adopt some aspects of the Sith ideology, even if not officially, did they regain their former standing."

At the same time, however, he understood what [member="Darth Veles"] meant by his response, and added, "But I suppose the best way to explain it is that the Jedi are hypocrites - they claim that being passive is the way to achieve peace in their doctrine, but they rarely ever practice what they preach."

 

[Darth Veles]

"Yes," Veles nodded in approval, his barbel quivering, "Whether they realize it or not, the Jedi are unintentionally helping us. The atrocities they commit on innocent civilians while claiming everything they do is to protect the innocents; they have ruined their image of heroes and peacekeepers and the masses are looking for someone else to give them hope of better future... If we do things right, it will be easy to gain massive support of the public." The Mon Calamari took several steps towards the place he stood before the students arrived. "We Sith do not serve the Force... we control it. Some may believe we should use the Dark Side, as our Jedi opponents use the Light Side of the Force, but I disagree. To fully control the Force, we have to enslave it as a whole... And never kill just because you can or for pleasure! It is distasteful and a sign of weakness, if you kill without thinking it means you are too weak to find alternative and better solutions." The Sith said and paused, looking at the tables. Before speaking again, he thought of the many basic powers the Acolytes should learn. What should they start with? Force sense was the safest bet, it would give him some insight into how they worked and their ability to feel the world around them through the Force.

"Very well, meditate and focus on the Force," Veles ordered, "Feel it flow through your body as a great river that gives you power, feel the vast ocean all around you. Let the Force heighten your senses, feel your surroundings! You can feel almost every lifeform if you concentrate. Force sense allows you to feel one's alignment, power, possibly even emotions. Beings without the gift of the Force sensitivity can also be felt. Through this very power, you can feel danger or the Dark Side. If something can be felt, it usually also can be manipulated. To telepathically communicate with other beings, you need to feel them first, connect with their own presence. Do remember though, it can deceive you... Now, I want you to focus one me, tell me what you feel."

The Mon Calamari Sith immediately twisted his own signature by Force stealth, making his presence appear as one of a Jedi Master. Light and pure, it shined through the dark signatures of the students.

[member="Albrecht Tagge"] [member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Darth Armyss]

The human acolyte responded by closing his eyes, relaxing himself as much as possible, and slowing his breathing down almost to a stop, allowing him to focus only on what he felt through the force emanating from [member="Darth Veles"], his mind purging all thoughts to devote all of his focus to his meditation. Compared to most acolytes, Albrecht had a very well-developed force sense ability, but it was mostly limited to informing him of when he was in impending danger, for the most part. That's what his training was for, to allow him to actually use his ability.

"I sense...a light...a bright, white light...almost like a beacon" he said calmly, the mental image the Force had assembled in his mind being quite abstract apparently, "and yet, the brightest lights cast the longest shadows, and I sense many such shadows as well..."

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Meditation wasn't one of the young's boys favorite activities, though he knew of the benefits it brought. Like enhanced concentration. Quickly sitting, the teenager would cross his legs, attempting to get comfortable. Slowly but surely, the boy's mind began to slip into a meditative trance, his eyes closing at a steady pace. It was hard to focus on [member="Darth Veles"]' words, however the boy did his best, understanding most of the things he said. It was true, the force was everything, surrounding and binding everything that was anywhere. Even now, he could feel it flowing around, and through his body.

The Mon Calamari was right, for Ballen-Ist had opened his eyes spiritually, his mind being able to sense most living beings in the area, out in the halls even. However, it was Darth Veles who stood out most, carrying a blindingly bright aura to his essence. His force signature was not of the Sith, but of the Jedi. "..Jedi?" The young boy would question, a rather puzzled look coming across his face. How was that even possible, to manipulate one's signature? Looking to the Mon Calamari Sith, he would question, "How is that possible?"

 

[Darth Veles]

"It is a Force technique. Those who follow the path of assassin may learn it..." The Mon Cal said to [member="Ballen-Ist"] and [member="Albrecht Tagge"] without explaining it further. His other class for Knights actually dealt with this particular Force power that allowed Force users bend their signature and hide their presence in the Force. Both students in that class pursued the way of stealth to some degree, making them perfect candidates for learning Force stealth. "We will start with telekinesis. You can move objects without touching them, push your enemies into walls or pull their weapons out of their hands to disarm them. If you're skilled enough, you can break someone's neck or rip them in half, all with telekinesis." Veles motioned towards the tables with his left hand. Such things could be used as weapons if used right. "Focus on the object you want to affect, imagine yourself grabbing it. Have no doubt; doubt leads to failure. Once you pick up an object, I want you to pick up another one. And another, until you're unable to telekinetically hold more. Once you're done, let the objects rotate around your body, then send them towards the broken droids over there. Whatever you pick, use it as a projectile. Remember, when attempting to do so, do NOT imagine yourself throwing the object; rather see it as pushing it where you want to."

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The boy had opened his eyes long ago, his focus having returned to [member="Darth Veles"] as he begun to spoke of the assassin's path. An interesting skill indeed, one he would most likely train to acquire in the future. Though, for now, the Mon Calamari suggested telekinesis practise. Remaining in his seated position, he would nod quietly, understanding the Sith's words. In the past, Ballen-Ist had practised his force telekinesis, but this would prove to be a more difficult challenge.

However, he would not look to fail, hoping to put Darth Ferus' teachings to use, at a more extreme level. Glancing around the room, the boy noticed several objects that had been scattered around, many that he could levitate given the time to concentrate. Once more the boy would reach out with his mind, harnessing the power of his force energy. Using the mystical source of power within him, he would wrap and manipulate the force that surrounded him, and all of the other things in the large room.

There were droids in the distance, but he would use those later. Focussing on the basics first, the boy would focus in order to project his force forward, grabbing around one of the long tables that had been on the ground. Using his imagination, the boy would envision the metallic table lifting off of the ground, floating into the air that was rich with the force. It would be bound, and surrounded, having no choice but to be controlled. Veles was right, there could be no doubt, only confidence, which was plentiful within the young Sith. Other items, like pens, papers, and chairs also began to levitate, Ballen-Ist's force power having expanded in order to also encompass the objects. Slowly but surely, they would all begin to retract towards the teenager, floating about him in a hypnotizing rotation. This was not without difficulty, though, for several beads of sweat had broken out across the boy's forehead. It was strenuous, but also offered many benefits to his future use in the force.

Ballen-Ist's cleared mind was more than capable of harnessing the items around him, they continuing to float as his eyes slowly opened. Looking into the distance, he spotted the old droids that had been lined up, to be used for their training. Following Veles' instructions, Ballen-Ist would imagine the boys hand pushing gently along the force, causing the items to float through the air at a guided, controlled pace. If he were to envision throwing them, he might've lost concentration. One by one, each of the items would crash into the robots, not causing any significant damage.